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Tesla Cybertruck production edges closer as Giga Texas reportedly shifts to 24/7 construction [Video]

(Credit: cybertruck.club/Instagram)

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Tesla Cybertruck reservation holders will be happy to learn that the electric car maker is reportedly ramping the construction of Gigafactory Texas by shifting to 24/7 operations. According to drone operator and Tesla enthusiast Jeff Roberts, there are now three shifts for Giga Texas’ construction work, meaning there will be continuous progress on the construction site. 

“Well, it’s happened; Tesla has effectively doubled [its] productivity by approving 3 crew shifts to work 24 hours per day, 7 days per week- effective IMMEDIATELY!” wrote Roberts in the description of one of his latest videos.

In September, Teslarati reported that Tesla estimated Giga Texas would have its “First Dry-in” by December 30, 2020 and its “First Substantial Completion” by May 1, 2021. A “dry-in” means a building’s shell is sufficiently complete enough to place equipment inside it. With 24/7 construction work, Tesla might be able to meet its December goals and begin trial production for the Cybertruck.

With Model Y production already started and ramping, Giga Texas’s most significant contribution to Tesla would be Cybertruck production. Texas will be the first Gigafactory to produce the Cybertruck, one of Tesla’s most unique and controversial electric vehicles to date, and it probably won’t be easy. 

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Like early Model 3 production, Tesla has not refined the mass production of the Cybertruck. Plus the all-electric pickup truck has a unique design that utilizes an origami-like process to create its triangular exoskeleton made of 30X steel. Even Elon Musk has said it will be a challenge to mass-produce the Cybertruck. 

With three shifts and 24-hour construction going on at Tesla’s factory in Austin, Giga Texas may rival the lightning speed of Giga Shanghai. Tesla China workers were able to complete the first phase of Gigafactory Shanghai less than a year since the beginning of its construction. The first production Model 3s were rolled out exactly one year after its ground-breaking ceremony.

Another drone operator, who closely follows the Texas Gigafactory’s progress, Joe Tegtmeyer, went into detail about how much work was accomplished in Tesla’s Austin construction site thus far. Tegtmeyer noted that Giga Texas workers made a lot of progress in its construction since last week.

Roberts compared Giga Texas’ progress with Giga Berlin, too. “Once upon a time we compared progress with Berlin in terms of “at X months, they were at this point, and in X months Texas is past that point” for example. Well that comparison is over because Giga Texas is about to literally catch up and surpass Germany in Gigafactory creation and then in products off the line! Woo hoo, the competition is REAL everyone!” he wrote.

Once Giga Texas is operational, it will start with Model Y production first, probably while Tesla is refining the production process of its Cybertruck. Tesla’s Fremont Factory already manufactures the Model Y so Giga Texas will only help increase the company’s production numbers in the United States. 

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Check out Jeff Roberts video of Giga Texas’s night construction below!

Maria--aka "M"-- is an experienced writer and book editor. She's written about several topics including health, tech, and politics. As a book editor, she's worked with authors who write Sci-Fi, Romance, and Dark Fantasy. M loves hearing from TESLARATI readers. If you have any tips or article ideas, contact her at maria@teslarati.com or via X, @Writer_01001101.

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Texas township wants The Boring Company to build it a Loop system

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge.”

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Credit: The Boring Company

The Woodlands Township, Texas, has formally entered The Boring Company’s tunneling sweepstakes. 

The township’s board unanimously approved an application to The Boring Company’s “Tunnel Vision Challenge,” which offers up to one mile of tunnel construction at no cost to a selected community.

The Woodlands’ proposal, dubbed “The Current,” features two parallel 12-foot-diameter tunnels beneath the Town Center corridor near The Waterway. Teslas would shuttle passengers between Waterway Square, Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Town Green Park and nearby hotels during concerts and large-scale events, as noted in a Chron report.

Township officials framed the tunnel as a solution for the township’s traffic congestion issues. The Pavilion alone hosts more than 60 shows each year and can accommodate crowds of up to 16,500, often straining Lake Robbins Drive and surrounding intersections.

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“We know we have traffic impacts and pedestrian movement challenges, especially in the Town Center area,” Chris Nunes, chief operating officer of The Woodlands Township, stated during the meeting.

“The Current” mirrors the Loop system operating beneath the Las Vegas Convention Center, where Tesla vehicles transport passengers through underground tunnels between venues and resorts.

The Boring Company issued its request for proposals (RFP) in mid-January, inviting cities and districts to pitch local uses for its tunneling technology. The Woodlands must submit its application by Feb. 23, though no timeline has been provided for when a winning community will be announced.

Nunes confirmed that the board has authorized a submission for “The Current’s” proposal, though he emphasized that the project is still in its preliminary stages.

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“The Woodlands Township Board of Directors has authorized staff to submit an application to The Boring Company, which has issued an RFP for communities interested in leveraging their technology to address community challenges,” he said in a statement. 

“The Board believes that an underground tunnel would provide a safe and efficient means to transport people to and from various high-use community amenities in our Town Center.”

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Tesla Model Y wins 2026 Drive Car of the Year award in Australia

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall.

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Credit: Tesla

The Tesla Model Y has been named 2026 Drive Car of the Year overall winner, taking the top honor after being judged as the vehicle that “moves the game forward the most for Australian new car buyers.” 

The Model Y is already Australia’s best-selling EV in 2025 and the tenth best-selling vehicle overall, but the vehicle’s Juniper update strengthened its case with new ownership benefits and expanded software capability.

Drive’s overall award compares category winners and looks at which model most significantly advances the local new car market. In 2026, judges pointed to the Model Y’s five-year warranty and the availability of Full Self-Driving (Supervised) as a monthly subscription as key differentiators.

Priced from AU$58,900 before on-road costs, the all-electric crossover SUV offers a lot of value compared to similarly sized petrol and hybrid rivals. The ability to access Tesla’s Supercharger network across Australia also reduces friction for buyers moving to EV ownership.

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Owners can add FSD (Supervised) for AU$149 per month. While it still requires driver oversight, the system expands the vehicle’s advanced driver-assistance capabilities and reflects Tesla’s software-first approach.

“The default choice for a reason. The Tesla Model Y makes the transition to electric both effortless and rewarding,” Drive wrote.

The 2025 Model Y facelift also sharpened the vehicle’s exterior, highlighted by a distinctive rear light bar that gives the crossover SUV a more modern road presence.

Drive described the Model Y as a benchmark for combining practicality, efficiency and technology at an accessible price point. With eligibility for federal Fringe Benefit Tax exemptions through novated leasing, its value proposition has improved for numerous buyers.

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For 2026, the Model Y’s combination of range efficiency, charging access and software capability proved decisive. Ultimately, the award all but cements the Model Y’s position as one of the most influential vehicles in Australia’s evolving new-car market today.

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Elon Musk reiterates rapid Starship V3 timeline with next launch in sight

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.”

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Credit: SpaceX/X

Elon Musk has confirmed that Starship will fly again next month, reiterating SpaceX’s aggressive timeline for the first launch of its Starship V3 rocket.

Musk shared the update in a brief post on X, writing, “Starship flies again next month.” The CEO’s post was accompanied by a video of Starship’s Super Heavy booster being successfully caught by a launch tower in Starbase, Texas. 

The timeline is notable. In late January, Musk stated that Starship’s next flight, Flight 12, was expected in about six weeks. This placed the expected mission date sometime in March. That estimate aligned with SpaceX’s earlier statement that Starship’s 12th flight test “remains targeted for the first quarter of 2026.”

If the vehicle does indeed fly next month, it would mark the debut of Starship V3, the upgraded platform expected to feature the rocket’s new Raptor V3 engines.

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Raptor V3 is designed to deliver significantly higher thrust than earlier versions while reducing cost and weight. Starship V3 itself is expected to be optimized for manufacturability, a critical step if SpaceX intends to scale production toward frequent launches for Starlink, lunar missions, and eventually Mars.

Starship V3 is widely viewed as the version that transitions the program from experimental testing to true operational scaling. Previous iterations have completed multiple integrated flight tests, with mixed outcomes but steady progress. Expectations are high that SpaceX is now working on Starship’s refinement.

An aggressive launch schedule supports several priorities at once. It advances Starlink’s next-generation satellite deployment, supports NASA’s lunar ambitions under Artemis, and keeps SpaceX on track for its longer-term Moon and Mars objectives.

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